Which Japanese emperor authorized acceptance of the Allied surrender terms in 1945?

Emperor Hirohito authorized acceptance of the Allied surrender terms in 1945.

Hirohito intervened during a deadlock among Japan’s senior leaders after the atomic bombings and the Soviet Union’s entry into the war against Japan. He supported accepting the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and directed the government toward surrender.

On August 15, 1945, a recorded broadcast of Hirohito’s voice announced Japan’s acceptance of the Allied terms to the Japanese people. The broadcast was the first time most Japanese citizens had heard their emperor speak.

Hirohito remained emperor after the surrender and during the Allied occupation. Under the postwar constitutional system, his role changed from a sovereign with broad authority to a symbolic position. He reigned until his death in 1989, making him Japan’s longest-reigning modern emperor.